It began in 1955, when a Sears and Roebuck newspaper advertisement included the phone number for children to call Santa Claus. Unfortunately for the store, lucky for us, there was a typo.
Instead of reaching Santa, the phone rang through to the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, the predecessor of North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD). That line was not known to the public. It was dedicated to urgent messages from the dozens of other installations monitoring our skies for threats.
U.S. Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup was at crew commander that holiday evening and picked up the phone in crisp military fashion. He probably expected unthinkable Cold War news. Instead, it was a youngster on the other end of the line, excited to be talking long-distance to the North Pole.
Col. Shoupe, who had children of his own, quickly realized an innocent mistake had been made. He assured the first child that Mr. Claus was safe, in the air, on course and on time. By the time the call ended the youngster understood an elite team of our nation’s finest would monitor Santa’s progress throughout the night.
Then calls flooded in. Rather than waking Pentagon brass, Col. Shoup cooly assigned a duty officer to handle the phone.
That single typo in an advertisement launched the tradition of NORAD monitoring Santa’s location throughout Christmas Eve. For the next 69 years children of all ages have called in to learn his location and for reassurance that no boggies were on his tail.
Website’s Already Live
On Dec. 1, the 70th iteration of NORAD Tracks Santa launched at NORADSanta.org. The website is a global experience today, delighting generations of families everywhere, not just in the United States. NORAD may be a binational U.S. and Canadian command charged with the serious business of aerospace and maritime warning and aerospace control of North America—as well as monitoring that activity globally—but it considers the supplementary mission of tracking Santa an honor.
Youngsters who visit the website any day in December can read about Santa, his sleigh (including payload capacity) and reindeer (including velocity and max ceiling). There are also free games, a look at what the elves are up to and more. There’s even a mobile app you can download.
On Dec. 24 reindeer-tracking radar goes live, giving children a chance to see exactly where he’s sliding down chimneys and even how many gifts he’s dropped off. The phone tradition also continues. Children of all ages can call (877) HiNorad on Dec. 24 and one of the many volunteers—who also still believe—will eagerly provide complete details on his location.
Editor’s Note: Parents, the website includes a North Pole library where children can learn more about Santa, the sleigh and more. It’s a great way to encourage reading and build imagination—although everyone in this office knows Santa’s real. We’ve seen his work, haven’t you?